Union Comments on DAS Office Worker Classification Study

November 12, 2010

REVIEW OF PROCESS BACKGROUND

Beginning in 2006, SEIU began Office Workers Campaign to win selective salary increases for office workers.

2007-09 contract DAS agreed to provide SEIU with notice of when they would do a class study

2009-11 contract, SEIU won agreement that study would be competed in time for 2011-13 bargaining.

Who’s included? Student Office Worker Office Assistant 1-2 Office Specialist 1-2 Administrative Specialist 1-2 Legal Secretary Executive Support Specialist 1-2 Public Service Representative 1-4 Data Entry Operator Word Processing Technician 1-3 Office Coordinator Executive Assistant Data Entry Control Tech

Classification Study

DAS reviews job classifications to determine whether current classification system needs to be updated and/or revised.

Based on their review they may delete, add or revise classifications

REVIEW AND COMMENT PROCESS

Regional meetings and rural webinar to review process—August 2010

Draft class specs and cover memo received from DAS—9/10/2010

SEIU questionnaire and link to draft class specs posted to SEIU website—September 2010

Work Group Meetings to Review Draft Class Specs and Member Input Work Group 1—Office Assistant, Office Specialist

1-2, Student Office Worker, Word Processing Tech 1-3, Data Entry Operator, Data Entry Control Tech—10/23/2010

Work Group 2—Admin Spec 1-2, Exec Support Spec 1-2, Legal Secretary, Office Coordinator—10/18/2010

Work Group 3—Public Service Representative 1-4—10/19/2010

Draft Comments Draft comments developed by SEIU research department

based on work of work group meetings Draft comments E-mailed to work group members-11/5/2010 Conference call to review draft comments—11/9/2010 Draft comments revised as needed based on input from

conference call Presentation of draft comments to SEIU DAS bargaining

team—11/10/2010 Submission of Union comments to DAS—11/12/2010

GENERAL COMMENTS—ALL COVERED CLASSIFICATIONS

Sampling Method Allocation Guide “Administrative Superior” Dangerous or adverse conditions

Sampling Method Sampling method is inadequate Looks only at 10% of positions within each

agency 90% of positions not considered Clerical positions are too diverse to

adequately capture with only 10% of positions

Allocation Guide Union recommends developing an allocation guide similar to

what has been used for other classification groups such as Program Analyst and Operations and Policy Analyst

More information explaining distinguishing features within and among classification series

Classification specifications are written in very general terms Need specific examples from a wide range of agencies to

understand intended meaning of general terms Greater clarity for agencies, employees Aid to employees and agencies in determining whether

positions are correctly classified Reduce likelihood of positions being improperly classified

“Administrative Superior” Draft class specs for Executive Support

Specialist replace “administrative superior” with “supervisor”

Recommend making the same change for other classifications using this term, e.g., Administrative Specialist 2

Dangerous or hazardous conditions Add reference in all clerical/technical class

specs that certain positions in the classifications may have to deal with dangerous or hazardous conditions on a regular basis

Examples—Oregon State Hospital and Oregon Youth Authority

WORK GROUP 1: OFFICE ASSISTANT/OFFICE SPECIALIST AND RELATED CLASSIFICATIONS

General Comments New Format for OA/OS 1-2 Series omits several

sections from current class specs Relationship with others Supervision received Knowledge, skills, and abilities Deleted information is helpful in correctly

classifying positions Recommend retaining current format

Office Assistant “Simple Repetitive Tasks”

DAS recommends combining OA 1 and OA 2 into one class, Office Assistant

OA 1 is rarely used Draft Office Assistant class spec combines wording from OA 1 and OA 2 Example: Reference to “simple, repetitive assignments Phrase comes from current OA 1 class spec Since OA 1 is not being used new spec should track current OA 2, rather

than combining OA 1 and OA 2. Basic knowledge of agency operations Independent judgment

Draft spec says OAs have “few opportunities to exercise independent judgment

Recommend referring to “opportunity to learn to use independent judgment”

Office Specialist 1 Exercise of initiative and judgment

Recommend retaining language from current class specs about “exercise of initiative and judgment in distinguishing among variables and identifying applicable standards

Office Specialist 2 Administrative/technical duties

Recommend retaining reference to “technical or minor administrative-related duties” under “Series Concept” section of class spec

“Moderately difficult work” Recommend replacing the term “moderately difficult work”

with more concrete, less subjective term Specialized program information

Draft class refers to “general understanding of specialized program information”

Recommend deleting “general”

OS Duties not captured in Class Specs Examples of duties cited in questionnaire responses which

are not captured in draft OS class specs Conduct criminal background checks Perform initial intake appointments with clients to assist them in

applying for services Compile information needed to determine eligibility decisions Keep records of cash, check and credit card transactions for

auditing purposes Maintain office procedure manual and update as needed Train and advise new staff in processes, procedures, and job

duties Database maintenance

Office Coordinator Positions Recommend retaining OC classification

Study recommends eliminating the Office Coordinator classification

DAS memo states that “class performs same type and level of work as OS 2”

Union recommends retention of OC class Fundamentally different from OS 2 class Features of OC positions which distinguish them

from OS 2 still apply

OC class spec needs to be revised and updated

Include reference to various additional duties currently not reflected

Delete outdated language, e.g., references to OUS

Revise draft OS class spec to delete new references to Office Coordinator positions

Word Processing Tech 1-3/Legal Secretary DAS proposes eliminating WPT series

Work environment has changed significantly WP duties found in all levels of clerical/technical work Dedicated series no longer necessary

Union response Agree with eliminating series Some positions should be reclassified to Legal

Secretaries Also recommend replacing Legal Secretary with LS 1 and

LS 2

Other Work Group 1 Classifications

Student Office Worker Data Entry Operator Data Entry Control Tech -No substantive changes or employee

comments on any of the above classes

WORK GROUP 2: ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST SERIES AND RELATED CLASSIFICATIONS

Administrative Specialist 1-2

Executive Support Specialist 1-2

Administrative Specialist 1-2

“Interpret” vs. “Analyze” DAS draft class spec replaces “interpret” with

words used to define “interpret” Stated intent is to avoid confusion around the

meaning of the term “interpret” Comments recommend retaining “interpret” but

including the definition of interpret. Appropriate issue for discussion and explanation

in an Allocation Guide

Administrative Specialist 1-2 (Continued)

Information Technology duties Questionnaire responses and work group discussions

indicate that many AS positions are performing Info Tech duties such as database and website maintenance.

Employees/positions whose primary duties are IT-related should be reclassified into ISS series

Employees for whom IT duties are important but not primary duty might be retained in AS series

Class specs should be revised to reflect some degree of IT duties

Hay pointing of clerical/technical classifications should take IT duties and responsibilities into account

Administrative Specialist 1-2 (Continued)

Additional Duties and Responsibilities not Captured in Draft Specs Confidentiality Training Issuing Permits Acting as liaison between agencies and the

public or the legislature Payroll-related duties

Executive Support Specialist 1-2 “ Confidential” Secretarial Support Current class spec refers to confidential

secretarial support Draft class spec eliminates the word

“confidential” Preserving confidentiality is an important part of

these positions so the word should be retained

WORK GROUP 3—PUBLIC SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE 1-4 “Interpret” vs. Analyze”

As with AS 1-2, DAS draft specs replace “interpret” with “analyze”

Replacement wording is not consistent with AS draft Recommend retaining “interpret,” use wording consistent

with recommendations for AS class spec Use Allocation Guide to clarify and explain intended

meaning of the word “interpret”

NEXT STEPS Submission of final Union comments to DAS—11/12/2010 DAS considers Union comments; makes changes as it sees fit DAS Central Evaluation Team meets to assign Hay Points to

new/revised classifications DAS Compensation Unit conducts market study to determine

market rates for comparable classifications for private and public sector employers in the appropriate labor market.

Preliminary allocation of positions to new/revised classifications Negotiation of salary ranges to occur during 2011 bargaining Implementation of new/revised classifications—Probable date—

10/1/2011 Final allocation of positions to new/revised classifications Opportunity for employees to contest agency allocation decisions

through Article 81 appeals process